Monthly Archives: November 2018

Autochthonous

Posted on November 8, 2018 by d4vid

The “island mountain” of Uluru made me think of my all-time favorite English word:  “autochthonous”. I love that “ch” right next to that “th”.  Sublime. The Greek etymology literally means “self from the ground” and the word has two meanings.  … Continue reading →

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Inselberg

Posted on November 8, 2018 by d4vid

At some point in my distant childhood, I developed a fascination with Ayers Rock (which was so named in 1873 by an Australian surveyor after then Premier and Chief Secretary of South Australia Sir Henry Ayers although properly known by it’s … Continue reading →

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Phatic

Posted on November 8, 2018 by d4vid

Port Augusta quickly gives way to the Outback.  An oncoming car waited for a herd of sheep to cross the road and I slowed in response.  As we passed, the driver of the car gave me a thumbs up and … Continue reading →

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Wrong

Posted on November 8, 2018 by d4vid

See, this would have been useful information 3000 kilometers earlier.  My bad.

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Slogan

Posted on November 8, 2018 by d4vid

Crossing into the Northern Territory (and setting my clock back an hour) I stopped at Kulgera for gas and some food. The place bills itself as both “The First and Last Pub in The Northern Territory” and “The Most Central … Continue reading →

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Hilltop

Posted on November 7, 2018 by d4vid

Watching the sun set over Coober Pedy, I found myself thinking of the double sunset on Tattooine. The sound of distant chicken and sheep and dogs made me think of Gyantse in Tibet.  And how in Chapter 80 of the Dao … Continue reading →

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Underhill

Posted on November 7, 2018 by d4vid

Coober Pedy is a legendary opal mining town.  (Apparently the name is an English corruption of the local Aboriginal term “kupa-piti” meaning “boys’ waterhole”.)  Not quite Hobbiton, but the residents famously live in dugouts underground. I stayed the night in the Lookout … Continue reading →

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Cocktail

Posted on November 7, 2018 by d4vid

The Outback.  The Midterms.  WWI. Three things dominated my thought as I drove from Port Augusta to Coober Pedy. The Outback.  Alien desolation from horizon to horizon. The midterm election.  The die already cast, but unable to hear any election … Continue reading →

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Helliconia

Posted on November 7, 2018 by d4vid

In the early 80s, science fiction author Brian Aldiss wrote a trilogy of books about a planet called Helliconia in a binary star system which means there are regular years (as Helliconia orbits one star) and “Great Years” (as Helliconia & … Continue reading →

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Outback

Posted on November 7, 2018 by d4vid

The Outback is the color of rust.  Literally, the color of rust.  It looks like the surface of Mars or, considering the twisted flora & vicious fauna, probably more like Barsoom. I had a magical moment while driving north on … Continue reading →

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Viticulture II

Posted on November 5, 2018 by d4vid

In general, I don’t give much thought to Australian wine.  (Although probably ranking somewhere between upstate New York wine and most Chinese wine.)  Furthermore, judging wines by their names and labels is just as misguided as judging a book by its … Continue reading →

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Whiplash

Posted on November 5, 2018 by d4vid

I don’t think of myself as having seasonal allergies, but jumping from Northern Hemisphere autumn to Southern Hemisphere spring has got me questioning that.

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Equine

Posted on November 5, 2018 by d4vid

Reassured by this Anglican church with an open door, I stopped for the night in a town called Horsham.  Since Gotham means “goat home” I wondered if Horsham meant “horse home”.  The town does have racetrack, after all. But apparently … Continue reading →

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Port

Posted on November 5, 2018 by d4vid

Spent the night at Port Augusta, a dinky resort town at the top of the Spencer Gulf (which itself cuts inland into the south of the continent from the Great Australian Bight.) The biggest surprise here was finding some excellent … Continue reading →

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Density

Posted on November 5, 2018 by d4vid

The population of Shanghai is 23 million whereas the population of Australia in total is roughly 25 million.

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